GCL Invitational Chess tournament in Mumbai!
The Global Chess League (GCL) is a franchise based chess league bringing fans together to witness the game in a never-seen-before avatar. This star-studded tournament with a huge prize fund will kick off from 21st June 2023 at Dubai. Celebrating the occassion and spreading awareness about this wonderful event, GCL has planned an amazing tournament - The GCL Invitational Chess Tournament for chess players in Mumbai on 26th May, at the Bandra Fort. There's a small entry fee, and there are huge prizes. Get to know all about this team tournament taking place in one of the most famous tourist spots of the city.
3 Ipads to be won at the Global Chess League Invitational in Mumbai
There are top-level chess tournaments all across the world with various different formats - the knockout format (World Cup), Team tournament (Olympiad), Round-robin (Candidates) are few that come to mind. But what we have been missing in chess is an official franchise league, like every sports has nowadays. Global Chess League fills that gap. Having a unique team format, a huge prize fund and both male and female players in each team, the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League will be a gamechanger in over the board chess, kicking off at Dubai from 21st June.
Since the Global Chess league is starting in just a few weeks from now, a special event will be held in Mumbai for creating awareness about this league! Come join us on a Friday evening at Bandra Fort in Mumbai on the 26th of May. This will be a get together for celebrating chess - apart from an amazing team chess tournament, there are many other fun activities planned!
All about the GCL Invitational on 26th May
The Global Chess League will have 6 players on each team, consisting of the world's top players and prodigies. Following the same format, there will be 3 players in each team in the GCL invitational in Mumbai. The Blitz tournament will take place on 26th May at the Bandra Fort in Mumbai! There's a nominal entry fee of Rs.100, with exciting prizes for the Top 3 teams and some special prizes as well. Register your 3-player team for the tournament here.
Format:
32 teams will be divided into 4 pools with almost equal average ratings as far as possible. Each pool will have a Tournament with 3 Rounds in a swiss pairing system. Here's where the unique part comes in - there will be 2 games per round between two competing teams. Team A will play white on all 3 boards in the first game, while Team B plays all 3 boards with Black. In the next game, they will reverse the colors.
Time control
The time control for the tournament is 3 minutes +2 seconds increment per move for all games.
Points system
There will be a points system as follows :
Each win with white pieces will be awarded 3 points.
Each Draw will be awarded 1 point each.
Each Loss will be considered to be zero in a points table.
Each win with Black pieces will be awarded 4 points. Hence, a team can score a maximum of 21 points in one round (2 Games)!
Tiebreak rules
In case of a tie in the pool swiss Standings in GAME POINTS for both colors White and Black (only for the Top Spot), The following tiebreaks will be applied:
Match Points (3 for team win, 1 for Team Draw, 0 for Team loss).
Difference between Points won and Points Lost.
Number of wins with Black Pieces.
If the tie persists even then, we will have a bullet tiebreak with both colors until we get the winner.
What happens after the Pool stage?
The top team of each pool will have to fight for the Semi Final in a 2-game match, in which the team scoring higher points advances to the finals. If the scores are leveled, a random board will be called for an Armageddon Game. In the Armageddon matchup, White will have 5 minutes, while Black will have 4 minutes but with draw odds. The pairing will be: Pool A winner vs Pool C Winner, & Pool B winner vs Pool D winner.
The Finals will be played between the winners of the Semi-Finals in a 2-game match, in which the team scoring higher points wins the Tournament. Same tiebreak rules as semi-finals apply!
Tournament venue
Bandra Fort, also known as Castella de Aguada, is a historic fortification located in the suburb of Bandra in Mumbai, India. It is situated at Land's End, overlooking the Arabian Sea, and holds significant historical and architectural importance in the city. The fort was built by the Portuguese in 1640 as a watchtower to guard the northern sea route into Mumbai Harbour. Its strategic location provided a vantage point to monitor the activities of ships and potential invaders. During its early years, the fort served as a crucial defensive outpost for the Portuguese against the Marathas and the British. However, as the British East India Company gained control over Mumbai in the 18th century, Bandra Fort lost its strategic importance and gradually fell into disuse. Today, Bandra Fort stands as a historical landmark and a popular tourist attraction in Mumbai.
It offers breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, and the surrounding coastline. The fort's well-preserved architecture and scenic location make it a favored spot for locals and visitors alike, especially during sunset. During its early years, the fort served as a crucial defensive outpost for the Portuguese against the Marathas and the British. However, as the British East India Company gained control over Mumbai in the 18th century, Bandra Fort lost its strategic importance and gradually fell into disuse. Today, Bandra Fort stands as a historical landmark and a popular tourist attraction in Mumbai. It offers breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, and the surrounding coastline. The fort's well-preserved architecture and scenic location make it a favored spot for locals and visitors alike, especially during sunset.
Prize structure
There are many attractive prizes planned for the tournament! Here's the Prize structure:
Winning Team: 3 IPads +3 Trophies
1st Runner-up Team: 3 trophies
2nd Runner-up Team: 3 ChessBase Premium Memberships
Best creative Team name: 3 ChessBase India Chess sets
Youngest Team (team with the youngest average age): 3 "ChessPa in Chess Adventure Park" books
Attending prize distribution ceremony is mandatory. If a team / representative captain is absent at the PD function, the prize will be given to next eligible team.
How to register for the tournament?
Since this is a team tournament, there need to be 3 players who register as a team for the event. We encourage all the players to come up with creative team names! The entry fee for each team is a nominal INR 100. You can scan the QR code below to pay the amount:
After that, fill up this Google form for the tournament entry, with details of all 3 team members, name of the team captain, and a team name.
After 40 teams have registered, we will close the google form. 32 teams will be selected at the venue in a first-come-first serve basis, so make sure to hurry up!
Now all that remains for you is to come and play the GCL Invitational Chess Tournament! Come at the Bandra Fort by 4 PM sharp on 26th May for a brand-new chess tournament with many exciting prizes. The event will be organized jointly by ChessBase India and NODWIN Gaming.
Important links
Global Chess League Official website
FIDE article on Global Chess League
